QUALITATIVE DETECTION OF ADULTERANTS IN MILK SAMPLES FROM KOLKATA AND ITS SUBURBAN AREAS

India is the largest producer and consumer of milk. Although milk production has increased substantially, there remains a gap between demand and supply of milk because of steep rise in processed dairy products. A section of greedy and dishonest milk traders has utilized this situation to increase milk supply in the market by adulterating milk. The common milk adulterants include water, skim milk powder, cane sugar (sucrose), starch, fat, ammonium sulpahate, etc. to increase its volume while maintaining its specific gravity. Preservatives like hydrogen peroxide, benzoic acid, salicylic acid, carbonates, bicarbonates, formalin, caustic soda, antibiotics are also used to increase shelf life of adulterated milk. Other additives like urea, vanaspati are also used to look it natural. This paper deals with the analysis of milk samples from Kolkata and its suburban areas to find out these adulterants.